Snail Tale

On an early summer walk
My foot came down on a snail
I winced at the telling crunch
And went thoughtfully on my way

I really don't like to kill things
Of any size or nature
Spiders are free to keep spinning
Bees are free to collect
We are happy to share our barnyard
(If less so our home)

And a snail is of little matter
Unless, of course you're that snail
And that's what made me wonder
While checking the cherries for ripeness
What the hell was that stupid snail thinking
Coming across my path

Well, of course he wasn't thinking
It was only a coincidence
that placed him just right there
He couldn't, could never conceive
Of my foot or what would then happen

The cherries still need a few days,
The apples are starting to form
Nor could he conceive of a human
Or a barn or a horse or a world
His impending death never crossed
What little mind that he had

My fingers were combing the grass
For sweet tiny wild strawberries
A cloud shadow quickly came on me
And I had such an awful start
That I had to resist looking up